Spoiled Rotten: Status Quo
by TriplePirouette
Summary: First Story in a Trilogy. BASED ON SPOILERS FOR X3. SUMMARY CONTAINS SPOILERS. See inside for summary. DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED. Eventally WR.


THE FOLLOWING FAN FICTION IS BASED ON VARIOUS SPOILERS FOR X3. IF YOU ARE  
NOT INTERESTED IN SPOILERS, DO NOT READ THIS.

I'M SERIOUS.

HERE'S SOME SPOILER SPACE, JUST IN CASE.

I WARNED YOU.

ahh, so you've decided to read. Good Choice! I love spoilers, too! ;) Keep  
in mind, this is written off of spoilers. Some which may actually turn out  
to be in the movie, some which may have been cut from the script already, or  
complete conjecture, which is all in the nature of spoilers. The following  
is an attempt to make me feel better about a major spoiler for the film, and  
I hope that it will help some of you out there, too. Future installments are  
also based on the teaser trailer.

Please don't e-mail me to tell me how much you hate so and so, or that you  
don't want to be spoiled (cause I warned you!). This fiction is an attempt  
to take a look at what's going on in a realistic sense, basically what I  
would do if I were given the situation and asked to make the movie. There is  
a companion to this, and a sequel story that completes my "Spoiled Rotten" Trilogy. Ok, finally, on to the story.

LAST CHANCE! THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THE STORY HEADER! TURN BACK NOW IF YOU DO  
NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED!

* * *

Title: Status Quo

By: TriplePirouette

Category: Angst, Based on X-3 Spoilers

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: They're not mine- I'm a poor and having fun... take pity...THIS IS BASED ON SPOILERS FOR X3 if you don't want to read fic based on spoilers, DON'T READ THIS!

Distribution: my site, WRFA, anywhere else please ask first :)

Summary: If Logan wanted to be honest with himself, he knew that he didn't love Storm.

Author's notes: Written because I know the reality is that we're going to see SOMETHING between Storm and Logan that I don't wanna in X3, so I figure if I rationalize it now, maybe it'll hurt less later... (yeah, right...) Anyway, it's not really pretty, and I don't think there's going to be any foof until after I see the movie and can rewrite the whole thing, but maybe this will give us a shred of hope. (Wow, I really sound delusional, don't I?) Written 11/4/05, just incase I'm psychic and this is how the movie does turn out! ;) Oh, and yes, there is some Rogue. There's also a companion from Rogue's POV, Complicated, that I'll post shortly, and a third part, Last Resorts.ALL PARTS ARE BASED ON SPOILERS! BE WARNED!

Thanks to Jenn, who did some beta for me on this (any mistakes are mine, though!) and to DD who said that this falls in her definition of fic that's allowed on the list/site. I hope I make them both proud.

Feedback PLEASE at: I love anything constructive! Blatant flames, however, will be disregarded and used to roast s'mores...

LAST CHANCE! X3 SPOILERS AHEAD!

* * *

If Logan wanted to be honest with himself, he knew that he didn't love Storm. In fact, he couldn't remember if he'd ever even called her Ororo instead of Storm, Baby, or Darlin'.

He also knew that sometimes it was easier to deal with the status quo than trying to change.

He was comfortable, sitting in his room, watching as the cocoa woman with the white hair redressed to leave and go back to her own room for the night. For all the time they'd been together, and it had been quite a few months, she'd never even broached the subject of moving in or even acted like she had wondered if it were safe enough to sleep in the same room as him. He returned her sated smile as he watched her walk out the door, then sank into his bed when he was all alone.

After Jean's death there was nothing to do but help put the school back together, which included the people within. Everyone at the mansion expected the Wolverine to be strong, to take the place of their bereft leader, so he was. They expected him to shoulder the burden, so he did. It had been three long months of forcing a recovery that was slow going: repairing the school, repairing equipment, repairing friendships, and moving through grief. He'd been strong through all of it, taking on extra responsibilities and never saying a word. At first the need for him had helped him deal with his own emotions, but after a while the responsibilities began to wear on Logan.

Jean was gone.

John was gone.

Scott and the Professor were depressed.

And Rogue was still with Bobby.

As close as Logan was with Rogue, he couldn't find a good enough reason to try to break up something that was good for her. He had all of his excuses listed out in his head, and he went through them every day. For as many excuses he had why Rogue shouldn't date Bobby, though, Logan had just as many reasons why Rogue couldn't be with him. He wouldn't hesitate, though, if the Ice Kid messed up.

Logan snuggled down into his bed and ran a hand over his face. Through it all, Storm had taken her share of the burden, as well. With Scott and Xavier practically useless for the first few weeks, she'd taken over the running of the school while he'd seen to the more tactile repairs: new walls, doors, and security. There had been one night, and one moment, that had changed things for them, and they'd simply never had the courage, or the need, to change back.

He'd been babysitting a moping Scott all day while Scott had attempted to help with repairs to the lower levels of the mansion. He roamed the halls, Scott on his heels like a lost puppy. He'd made more than one off hand comment to Storm about the grieving man: the grief was fine, but Scott, especially in that mood, could get on Logan's nerves like no other. It was nearly midnight when he headed out into the woods intent on clawing something. He heard strange noises, however, and went to investigate.

Storm stood in a clearing, winds and rain and small balls of lightning whipping around her. She was far enough away that she'd been able to hide it from the mansion. Logan watched from the edge of the clearing for a minute, then continued on to take some stress out on the rotting trunk of a tree a few yards away.

Even flying, she couldn't sneak up on him. When their eyes met, they knew. They were both wild, yet somehow contained. They were both grieving, but their sadness wasn't being recognized. They were being used, and allowing it to happen.

Their first night in the woods was explosive, more about need than lust or love. He'd even go so far as saying they'd used each other, even if the ends justified the means. A few days later they'd sought the comfort of a warm body again, and it slowly moved from secret rendezvous to fact: Storm and Logan had become a couple.

He tossed in his blankets, not able to find a comfortable spot. But they really weren't a couple. He knew, and he knew that Storm knew as well, that it had been more about convenience than love. They both needed someone, and the other was there. They were both wild, and respected the needs and desires that the more primal aspects of their personalities demanded.

He wasn't sure what it meant that he didn't feel the same turn in the pit of his stomach when he watched Storm suit up as when he did Rogue. He told himself it was nothing when he searched Rogue out in the room before he looked for Storm. He didn't like to think that he often left Storms clothes on when they made love not because he didn't want to take the time to remove them, but because he was fascinated with the feel of the flesh through the cloth. He did know that Rogue had miraculously not pulled away from him, and he guarded his time with her carefully.

Storm never interfered with his time with Rogue, and he never asked Storm why she whispered another man's name when she was in bed with him.

They found solace, not love, in one another, but no one said anything out loud. They'd found a tentative balance, a fantasy almost, and they knew it wouldn't last. He just didn't know if he could be the one to let it go.

Logan stared into the dark as he lay on his back, the blackness quiet, not trying to stop his train of thought when he was startled by his door opening quietly. There wasn't nearly as much white hair in the crack of the door as he expected: only two thin strips.

"Logan?" She tiptoed in, moving over toward the bed, covered from head to toe.

"Nightmare?" He sat up, and wondered if the stench of sweat and sex was as potent to her as it was to him, even though she didn't seem to notice or care. She nodded and moved over to the side of his bed.

Logan remembered every time he'd been alone with the girl who was slowly sinking into his embrace at the moment, and he remembered every single time he'd let 'Marie' instead of 'Rogue' slip through his lips. Logan couldn't remember if he'd ever even called Ororo anything instead of Storm, Baby, or Darlin'.

For all the time they were together now, and it had been quite a few months, Ororo'd never broached the subject of moving in, or even acted like she had wondered if it were safe enough to sleep in the same room as him. Marie snuck in his room nearly once a week, always after Storm had left, and often with tears in her eyes. She stayed locked in the embrace of the man who'd run her through with his claws with no second thought, sleeping soundly and admonishing him when she'd wake up to find he'd watched her all night instead of sleeping himself. He held her close and snuggled down into the bed, a thin sheet protecting his bare chest as he heard her breathing even out and slow with sleep.

If Logan wanted to be honest with himself, he knew that he didn't love Storm, but he also knew that sometimes it was easier to deal with the status quo than trying to change.


End file.
